Am I Still a Trail Runner?

Yesterday (Sunday) was a pretty nice day. Partly sunny and the late morning temperatures were in the low 50s. I went out to Lake of the Woods trails...and ran the asphalt bike path. Kind of sad. Saturday I ran the trails there and ended up being soaked with water and mud. Not to mention dancing around the snow and ice. Sunday I figured a 6.6 mile bike path run would be better. Not sure how I've changed. A couple years ago I would have mocked anyone (including myself) for running on a bike path rather than the trail. Who cares about weather? So what if the trail is muddy? The nastier, the better! I think this long winter has gotten to me. I'm tired of snow and ice. Even when the weather is nice, the trails are in poor shape--saturated with water and very sloppy. What used to be a fun kid-like tromp through the slush has become just another slow sloppy run.

So am I still a real trail runner? Around the 1/2 mile mark on the bike path, there is a low spot that serves to drain the farmland and prairie. Yesterday there was a small stream flowing across the bike path. I'd guess it was about ten feet across and had water 3 inches deep. Not exactly the American River at Rucky Chucky on the Western States trail! When I got to this spot, there were 2 walkers with their dogs, paused at the edge, wondering what to do. Is there a choice? I ran right through the deepest part and kept on going...picking up the pace a bit as I took off down the path. Did the same thing on the way back...again with another couple stopped at the edge. Felt good. I may not be the most devout trail runner every single day, but I can still enjoy getting wet. Yeah, I'm still a trail runner at heart. My mind just keeps me out of the mud when it's had a long, cold, and dark winter to deal with. I'm sure both my mind and heart will be back on the trail once spring is here.